These short, graphic-novel retellings of popular fairy tales are meant for middle-grade readers, and unfortunately they have very little crossover appThese short, graphic-novel retellings of popular fairy tales are meant for middle-grade readers, and unfortunately they have very little crossover appeal for an older audience. They all introduce something "far out" or "edgy" into the traditional fairy tales -- Cinderella is a ninja, Hansel and Gretel are zombies, Red Riding Hood is a super hero, etc. The problem is that these seem to be changes for the sake of changes -- there is nothing about them that hooks into the original tale and makes you think, "Aha, this interpretation makes perfect sense when you look at it that way!" (Such as Neil Gaiman's interpretation of Snow White as a vampire in "Snow, Glass, Apples.") The "Snow White and the Seven Robots" retelling was my favorite of the bunch, and the others were all sort of meh.

The artwork is passable -- very much manga-styled and quite energetic, but not the sort of illustrations that cause you to linger on the page. ...more

This is one of those reviews I've been putting off because I don't have much intelligent to say about this book. It's a fun, warm, and charming read -This is one of those reviews I've been putting off because I don't have much intelligent to say about this book. It's a fun, warm, and charming read -- a rather sweet take on the Norse gods and one young boy's interactions with them. ...more

I recently re-read the 12 Dancing Princess (which this story retells), and was struck by how, even though tJust as much fun as Harriet the Invincible.

I recently re-read the 12 Dancing Princess (which this story retells), and was struck by how, even though the story is named for the titular women, all of whom presumably have their own lives, the story really revolves around the guy who creeps on them trying to figure out where they go at night. The story is about him, not the cursed princesses.

In Vernon's version, Harriet stands in for the gardener who saves the day -- so while she still takes center stage, at least a story ostensibly about 12 women doesn't inadvertently end up being about one man. Also, the princesses in the story are given some real "page-time" and personalities and desires of their own, all of which are improvements over the original. Prose is funny and smart and artwork is charming. ...more

This book was super fun -- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty featuring a sturdy, sassy princess who figures out how to use the curse to her advantage. ItThis book was super fun -- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty featuring a sturdy, sassy princess who figures out how to use the curse to her advantage. It's funny and subversive without being heavy-handed, equally suited to be enjoyed by kids or adults. I love that Harriet acts like a REAL 12-year-old (even if she is a hamster :)), and of course, the artwork is exuberant and expressive. Will definitely keep reading this series, and would recommend them as read-alouds, too. ...more

There are so few "Aladdin" retellings out there, and so this wasn't quite the retelling I wanted it to be.

What I would like is a retelling that rea3.5

There are so few "Aladdin" retellings out there, and so this wasn't quite the retelling I wanted it to be.

What I would like is a retelling that really delves into the potential historical and cultural setting of the original tale, sticking fairly close to the bones of the story because that hasn't really been done yet. I feel like after a few rich, close-to-original retellings have been published, that's when you can start doing funky things with a story, and "Aladdin" just isn't at that point yet. So, after getting over my disappointment that this retelling was not particularly true to the original, I tried to enjoy it on its own merits.

But my enjoyment ended up being somewhat uneven. It takes place in a vaguely Middle-Eastern fantasy world that borrows more from current YA tropes than from the original tale or the historical or cultural context in which it is based. There is a love triangle, of course, mostly focused on Aladdin and the genie, who is female. The love story didn't particularly grab me, which is the driving force in the book -- I was more interested in the princess and her struggles to come into her own amidst political turmoil and being constantly undermined by her power-hungry uncle and hounded by her cousin, who was also her betrothed. The tale also seemed to owe just as much to Disney's rendition of "Aladdin" as to the original tale, both in its description of Aladdin's appearance and personality and in its emphasis on the importance of freedom to a genie and the role a master's wish can play in granting that desire.

So while I know I shouldn't hold too much against this book for not being the "Aladdin" story I wanted it to be, I also feel like it probably wouldn't have particularly interested me if it were not billed as an "Aladdin" retelling -- and its relationship to the original tale was thin enough that it could have just been a story about a genie who falls for her human master. ...more

A big part of that is that Rudnick is a good writer, and this book feels like itThis is probably the best Disney spinoff novel that I've read so far.

A big part of that is that Rudnick is a good writer, and this book feels like it came from someone who cares enough about her subject matter to really sink into the characters' thoughts, motivations, and world. The book is full of backstory for Anna and Hans that is only hinted at in the movie, gives names and personalities to "bit part" characters, and for the most part does not feel forced or contrived.

My biggest disappointment in this book was how much of its events overlapped with the movie's events -- that means that a sizeable chunk of it was essentially a "novelization," albeit a very good novelization. I would have enjoyed it a LOT when I was young and used to read the novelizations again and again in the time between the movie's theatrical release and its video release, but as an adult (who still reads Disney novels ;)), I was hungry for more new, original material -- especially since Rudnick did that so well. ...more

I love Ursula, but, alas, this was not the Ursula novel I desperately wanted it to be.

What annoyed me about the book was that it was not a "standaloneI love Ursula, but, alas, this was not the Ursula novel I desperately wanted it to be.

What annoyed me about the book was that it was not a "standalone," which I really feel like the books in this villain series should be in order to give each villain's potentially complex backstory and motives their full due. About half the book was focused on follow-up to events from the previous book in the series, The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince, which I wasn't really invested in. Overall, it felt more as if the author was more interested in continuing the story with the auxiliary characters that she had made up for the series than really delving into Ursula's story, which felt somewhat tangential to the story Valentino seemed to REALLY want to tell about the "odd sisters" machinations regarding the various villains in the Disney-verse. Overall, this gave the book a somewhat disjointed feel of two stories being told in parallel, one about Ursula's perspective of The Little Mermaid, one about Valentino's own characters that never appear in the Disney movies and thus don't garner a ton of investment from me.

Despite these issues, I still gave the book three stars because the parts that were focused on Ursula's backstory, especially her relationship with King Triton, were well done. The book was also a fun, quick read and an enjoyable bit of escapism. The writing is passable, and despite my disappointment with this series (and other Disney novel spinoffs overall), I know I will keep reading them because, well, Disney. ...more

I picked this up because it is a retelling of Cinderella, and while I like retellings, this oUgh, another book to remind me why I don't read romances.

I picked this up because it is a retelling of Cinderella, and while I like retellings, this one is fraught with all the tropes of the romance genre that make my stomach turn. Why are we supposed to be enamored by a prince who attempts to seduce a woman that he thinks is his cousin's fiancee, despite the fact that she tells him repeatedly to back off, and despite the fact that HE is also engaged? Kate is a typical flimsy romance heroine who attempts to pass off spunk as strength and thinks of herself as "plain" even though she's gorgeous. I much preferred the prince's "betrothed," Tatiana, but I don't regret that he didn't end up with her because these two dolts seemed to deserve each other. ...more

This is a first novel, and it feels like one. The prose is overwritten and tends toBook Riot Read Harder Challenge Item: A book set in the Middle East

This is a first novel, and it feels like one. The prose is overwritten and tends toward the purple, and it resorts to using the same descriptions far too often. Like, we don't need to know that Jalid has "tiger eyes" each time he looks at Sherzhad, do we? Or that Sherzhad has luscious, waist-length hair? There also seemed to be something weird going on with transitions, because I often had to backtrack to figure out how we got from one scene to another, or from one point of view to another, etc.

It's hard to redeem the caliph who murders a new bride every night, and this book puts forth a valiant effort. But in doing so, it sort of lets him off the hook for his crimes, which is a little off-putting. The tumultuous love story between Jalid and Sherzhad probably would have captured my interest if I read this as a teenager, but as an adult it felt a bit on the melodramatic side. Plus, whenever I started to get into it, there was, "Oh yeah, but this guy has killed a bunch of women," and that sort of killed the mood for me.

The world-building is pretty shaky and doesn't seem to be firmly rooted in Middle Eastern history or in a new, magical world. It ends up being a sort of mashup of the two, but the magic plays such a tangential part in the story that it feels a little out of place. There are curses and random powers inserted mostly for the sake of convenience and without feeling as though they are truly woven into the fabric of this time and place. And, like, why was there a magic carpet that never even did anything? I could have done without the half-baked love triangle, too.

I gave the book three stars, so obviously it wasn't all bad. It held my interest well enough even if it annoyed me at times, and there are far too few retellings of fairy tales outside the European canon. It ends on a little bit of ambiguity/cliffhanger which seems to set it up for a sequel, in which the love triangle is destined to take center stage. I don't think I will be reading it. ...more

**spoiler alert** Book Riot Read Harder Challenge Item: A non-superhero comic that debuted in the last 3 years

I am not afraid to admit that nostalgia**spoiler alert** Book Riot Read Harder Challenge Item: A non-superhero comic that debuted in the last 3 years

I am not afraid to admit that nostalgia may have inflated my rating.

However, it's not as if I'd fawn over any Jem-related property. My reaction to the movie reboot was far from positive.

This reimagining of the JEM canon works because it strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and modern sensibilities. Although the character designs have been updated, their personalities have remained intact while receiving greater depth; story threads that were only subtexts in the original series are brought out into the open here. Also, I have nothing but good to say about the update to the character designs -- whereas all the female characters in the original essentially shared the exact same fashion-plate body, in this incarnation we see body diversity along with the ethnic diversity that the show always managed to pull off. Jerrica and the gang come off as somewhat "younger" than they do in the original, but I think that is partially because the original was aimed at kids, where an adult is just an adult, whereas this is aimed at older readers who know how rare it is for someone to be CEO of their own record label at age 23.

This does make me wonder how new readers would treat the more fantastical elements of this story, couched as they are in a more realistic setting without a lot of explanation about how they work. But perplexing newcomers is a price I am willing to pay to keep some of the iconic story elements -- ahem, SYNERGY -- from the original intact.

Also, there are some things that make MORE sense in this incarnation. We're never really given an upfront reason for the creation of JEM in the original -- why did Jerrica change her identity while everyone else remained themselves? As the original series goes on the viewer starts to perceive that Jerrica needs her alter-ego to "cut loose," but this is handled in a more upfront manner in the comic: Jerrica, while a talented musician and songwriter, has debilitating stage fright and can only perform when hiding behind the persona of JEM.

And yeah, there are definitely some cheesy moments that in most cases would make me roll my eyes -- but when they appear I ask myself, "Would this sort of thing have happened on the cartoon?" When I realize the answer is yes, I just have to sort of shake my head and smile indulgently. And I love all the little details here, especially when it comes to Pizazz. She comes across as a bit more "mean girl" and a bit less "loose cannon" than in the cartoon, but there are these sweet "softening" touches that just make you want to know more about who she REALLY is -- who are the science fiction action figures next to her bed? She's also been given a Siamese cat which seems a perfect fit (Siamese are known for being one of the most "prickly" and temperamental breeds), and in the final frame, just the hint of a tear in her eye as she rants about Jem and the Holograms stealing the spotlight.

The nascent love stories, both between Kimber and Stormer and Jerrica and Rio are sweet, although I'm worried that Rio might discover the dual identity too early on in the series. I will be disappointed if the comic ends up matching the movie in that regard, both because Jerrica's secret identity provided such an ongoing sense of tension in the original (where Rio never DID find out) AND because dudes with secret identities are allowed to hold onto them (and the power it gives them) for decades against all odds. I hope the new writers will give Jem the same courtesy; in so many other ways they've kept this "true" to the things that made the Jem series so beloved.

I've already ordered the next two volumes. I hardly ever purchase books new, but when it comes to series like this that are so close to my heart, I just want to keep throwing money at them. ...more

I tried to read this book last year and couldn't get into it. I knew I would struggle with it this year, too, but it was the only book on my shelf thaI tried to read this book last year and couldn't get into it. I knew I would struggle with it this year, too, but it was the only book on my shelf that fit a certain reading challenge item, so I soldiered on.

If I were to sum this book up in one word, it would be "sloppy." The sloppy writing is what was off-putting the first time I tried to read it, and it doesn't get better as the story progresses. Part of it is that the prose is just incredibly overwritten -- I would have taken a red pen to so much of it if I were its editor. It's full of redundancies such as, "Everything will be fine," she said reassuringly. And it was littered with enough typos -- maybe a couple every 50 pages or so -- that it could have easily been mistaken for self-published. Luckily, the author did not commit the amateur mistake of "head-hopping" throughout the dual viewpoint narration; the points of view of the two main characters were neatly divided by chapters.

To be fair, part of my dislike of this book may not have been totally fair. It's a retelling, which I like, but it also follows the tropes of paranormal romance, which I do not like. It feels more like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" than the Ramayana, and teenage goddesses battling demons has never really been my cup of tea. I felt like I couldn't really judge whether the plot "worked" as a paranormal romance because the genre does so little for me even when it's written better than this was, but I do know that it felt bogged down with two many characters and different types of deities, the plot seemed to slip-slide from one place to another, and the love triangle did absolutely nothing for me (one of the dudes in the triangle was a total bore, the other more interesting but too much of a "bad boy" to really make a good partner unless he spent years in therapy dealing with his issues, such as, you know, the fact that he (view spoiler)[ helped demons kill gods in gruesome ways. (hide spoiler)])

It was a little more gory than I expected, which was also off-putting. I can't really comment on how well it works as a retelling because I know so little about the Hindu mythology on which it is based. The author's father is apparently a Brahman, so she should know her stuff, but a lot of the reviews I've read imply differently. While I like the multi-cultural approach to the genre, Sera's family doesn't really feel Indian -- her mother is at one point described as having a "typical" Indian look, and at another point as having blond hair. O-kay .... I was tempted to give this book to a friend whose father is Indian to get her insight on the Indian elements, but I just couldn't in good conscience foist such a bad book on someone I love. (I gave it to a stranger instead through a book-swapping site). ...more

Around the Year Reading Challenge Item #30: A Fairy Tale From a Culture Other Than Your Own

3.5 stars

I had high expectations for this book, as I've reaAround the Year Reading Challenge Item #30: A Fairy Tale From a Culture Other Than Your Own

3.5 stars

I had high expectations for this book, as I've really loved Ness's Chaos Walking series and trust him as a writer to convey the authentic human experience. The fact that this is a modern retelling of a Japanese fairy tale made it even more appealing to me, although I probably would have been open to any subject matter. But his voice does not come across as effortlessly or as authentically in this adult novel as in his YA stuff. The experimental format, transitioning between "all dialog" chapters, an original myth, and more traditional exposition at times feels as though it is "trying too hard." And the characters come across as just shy of fully realized.

Yet, despite this, the book mostly held my interest -- although I did feel that it sagged a little in the middle. However, I liked the magical realism, especially the moments occurring in the "real world" that were tinged with the impossible. I liked the use of metaphor and the themes of love, possession, and creation, and how certain people or experiences leave you changed forever. I found the ending to be satisfying, which is what kept this book from falling squarely in "three-star" territory, but it's not among Ness's best. ...more

I wavered between giving this book three and four stars. It's definitely an original retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story, adapting it for a middle-I wavered between giving this book three and four stars. It's definitely an original retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story, adapting it for a middle-grade audience and making Rumpelstiltskin just 12 years old when the events of the tale we know so well unfold. The story starts out with a nice set-up and reveals its themes about the power of names right from the beginning. The tension builds at a nice pace, from Rump feeling like an outsider, to discovering his magic, to becoming entangled in its price. In addition to characterizing Rumpelstiltskin in new ways (he's so sympathetic that he almost seems too sweet at times), it also gifts the miller, his daughter, and the king with salient personalities, making them all unlikable in different ways.

The magic system and the "rules" of magic reminded me a lot of Ella Enchanted, where characters are granted pardon for their bad or perplexing behavior because the "magic made me do it." Although the story seems to falter a little bit in its second half, it redeems itself by fitting all the various threads together especially neatly in the end. It was pretty easy to see how it would all turn out, but I did appreciate the way Shurtliff managed to tie all the fairy tale's key elements in even while staying true to her own "take" on the story. I was also delighted to find aspects of other fairy tales making their appearances, so that it has a flavor of "mashup" rather than strict retelling. We see the apple tree that grows from the seeds of Snow White's poisoned apple, and Rump's friend Red is a clear nod to Red Riding Hood. This ended up being just as good as Gail Carson Levine's middle-grade retellings, and I would read more stories set in this world. ...more

At first I thought I was a little bored because I was just waiting for Jesus to come into the stAs retellings go, this one just didn't do much for me.

At first I thought I was a little bored because I was just waiting for Jesus to come into the story -- if anyone can make a book interesting, Jesus can, right? But even after Jesus came on the scene, I found my mind wandering often enough that I had to keep starting tracks over to figure out where I was in the story.

The passion story is inherently interesting, but I felt like this rendition didn't really bring anything NEW to the table. In many ways, it felt like a more in-depth jaunt through Jesus' "greatest hits" as the author strung filler between big events from the Gospels such as healings or Jesus' most salient teachings. While telling the story from Judas' point of view may seem in itself transgressive, ultimately everything about this story feels too "safe" -- there is nothing surprising or unexpected in the character of Jesus; Judas is absolved/redeemed in a way that waters down even his betrayal; and none of the other apostles are given enough character development to make them feel any more real than the canon has already made them.

This book did have its moments of inspiration. The writing is good and the author seems to be well-versed in the political, cultural, historical, and geographical setting. And the story is strongest in Judas's moments of doubt, when he wonders whether he follows a Messiah or a madman, when he doubts Jesus' sanity or his ability to lead, when he struggles internally with the implications of his devotion. But ultimately, the story never goes quite far enough to make a lasting impact or to cast a well-known tale in a new light. ...more

I think the people who dislike this book because they don't like the way Elizabeth or otBook Riot Challenge Item: A Historical Fiction Set Before 1900

I think the people who dislike this book because they don't like the way Elizabeth or other Bennets act in it really need to venture out of their protective bubble.

There's a reason the characters in Longbourn are mentioned only in passing in Pride and Prejudice: it's because the upper classes barely noticed that the servant class existed. The portrayal of the Bennets in this book seems perfectly in line with their portrayal in the book; they are kind to the servants, they are not monsters, but they have a sense of entitlement -- which is barely noticed when the story is told from their perspective, but which rankles a bit when you see it through the eyes of those who must work to make sure the Bennets continue to receive what they feel entitled to, whether it is new shoe roses despite the rain or three warm meals each day.

Although I consider myself a Jane Austen fan and I like the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, I get easily irritated by the Jane-ites that fawn over the romance in the books as though Austen was merely a writer of Harlequins and not a woman who was attempting to critique the society in which she lived even as she upheld it. And I have limited patience for books such as Austenland and The Jane Austen Book Club that seem fixated on "cute-sy-fying" Austen.

What I loved about Longbourn is that it brought Regency England back down to earth. There are cold mornings, chamber pots to be emptied, a war in Spain, wealth that is acquired through connections with the slave trade. This should not "tarnish" our view of the original works but instead deepen it with a more complete appreciation of their full context. This book is rich in sensory and historical details and delves fully into the lives of those who are often considered disposable and forgettable by history -- and yes, by Austen herself, whether you like it or not.

Although it does have some similar themes to P&P, it is not too obvious, nor does it cripple itself by trying too hard to emulate the source material. At the same time, this book is eminently faithful to the original -- all the events are the same -- and only the perspectives are different. This time, the Bennets are in the background, and while this might be disappointing to those hoping to slather over a new take on Elizabeth and Darcy's love, I found it to be perfectly acceptable because the main characters here are fully realized enough that we don't need to rely on an old, beloved story to make it through. I also appreciated that, because this book was written much later than P&P, it could more fully explore issues that would have been improper to write about then, such as just how creepy Wickham might have been, what happened when children were born out of wedlock, etc.

It was a little slow to start, and I found my interest waning in the section about James near the end, which took the action away from the core group of women we had been following for the rest of the book. But it is definitely a worthwhile read, especially if you enjoy well-rendered, intimate historical fiction, and whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to its source material. ...more

This is a collection of stories beautifully retold in Cunningham's masterful prose. Stories that are haunting in their original form (i.e., "The MonkeThis is a collection of stories beautifully retold in Cunningham's masterful prose. Stories that are haunting in their original form (i.e., "The Monkey's Paw") are even more haunting with Cunningham's treatment, which delves fully in to their darker connotations and vividly imagines what the implications would be of truly living in these worlds and making these choices.

In some ways, these stories are more adaptations than retellings. With the exception of his retelling of "The Stalwart Tin Soldier," most of the stories keep very close to their original versions but simply go more in depth, revealing character quirks, motivations, and proclivities only hinted at in the stories we know.

If you're looking for something truly new in your retellings, this might not be for you. But if you are looking for beloved tales told exceptionally well, you may have come to the right book. ...more

After years of avoiding Rumpelstiltskin retellings while I worked on my own, it's been fun to read different interpretations of one of my top three faAfter years of avoiding Rumpelstiltskin retellings while I worked on my own, it's been fun to read different interpretations of one of my top three favorite fairy tales. This book takes for its premise that the queen never guessed Rumpelstiltskin's name, so he ended up making off with her child. As the story unfolds, the reader begins to understand his reasons for doing so. Since only the prologue involves the events of the original story, it's really more of a "continuation" than a retelling.

This story is told from the perspective of Rumpelstiltskin's son, so he is immediately redeemed of his villainous role in the story when we meet him through the eyes of one who has been loved and raised by him. Although the writing and voice here do not come across as effortlessly as in Schmidt's later, more realistic work, it's adequate for a few hours immersed in fantasy. It reminded me of the kind of fantasy I loved most as an adolescent, sort of generically medieval with a magic system and character relationships that were not too complicated.

I think my favorite part of this retelling was the way it developed the characters of the King and the queen/miller's daughter, who came alive with all their shortcomings and vulnerabilities and wounds beneath the official titles and dignified postures. What I liked least was how little we actually got to see/learn about Schmidt's version of Rumpelstiltskin, who was absent for most of the book. Still, it was enjoyable enough, if not among the most memorable fairy tale retellings I've read. ...more

Reading this, I felt totally immersed in Marillier's world, which she accomplishes by4.5

This book reminded me of why I used to love fantasy so much.*

Reading this, I felt totally immersed in Marillier's world, which she accomplishes by choosing just the right details about her settings and characters to convey. All of Sorcha's six older brothers are realistically drawn and distinct from one another; it seems it would be all too easy for them to dissolve in a jumble of names, but I never had trouble remembering which character traits belonged to which brother, despite the fact that the brothers are "absent" for much of the book. The love and devotion Sorcha felt for her family serves as the lifeblood of this story, but it is also more than that, expanding to explore issues of prejudice, recovery from abuse, devotion, and love. And even though Sorcha is mute for most of the book, I was impressed by the way Marillier was still able to convey her engagement with those around her, as well as the way her mute status invited the types of dialogue that would not have been possible if she were speaking. For example, characters told her more than they would have told someone who could repeat their words, and she often communicated with only the most urgent or basic component of what she needed to convey.

This story enriches the source material of "The Six Swans" fairy tale with a deftly drawn world including cultural tension, family loyalty, and the clash and interweaving of pagan and Christian beliefs. It stays close enough to the original to satisfy most fairy tale fans, while also creating a complete enough world to draw in fantasy lovers who are unfamiliar with or not interested in the original tale.

The ending is bittersweet in the best way, with, in my opinion, just the right amount of loose ends remaining. I heard so many good things about this book between the time it was published over 15 years ago and when I finally picked it up, and I was delighted to find that all of them were true.

* I still love fantasy, but my reading tastes have expanded so much that I don't read as much of it as I used to when it was my primary genre. ...more

In the first half of this book, while I was still enjoying it, I was also feeling conflicted about my enjoyment of it because OSC's devotion to the "sIn the first half of this book, while I was still enjoying it, I was also feeling conflicted about my enjoyment of it because OSC's devotion to the "sanctity of [his definition of] marriage" is pretty nauseating to me. So I lamented that, "I wish OSC wasn't so homophobic, or that he didn't write such good stories."

The second half of that ended up coming true in the course of this book.

The book is a retelling of the Russian version of the Sleeping Beauty story, and the first half, as Ivan gets his bearings after he kisses the princess and ends up in the past, was very intriguing. It was interesting to see the way he struggled to assimilate to a different way of doing things, as well as the society's reaction to his different way of thinking. He is not the man that the princess or her father would have chosen to break the curse, but he's what they have and they have to somehow make the best of it.

But in the second half of the book, it devolves into generalities about men, women, and marriage and begins to read like a bad romance novel -- not to mention being a little bit on the creepy side while it's supposed to be funny. OSC's conservative agenda permeates the whole second half of the book, from Ivan's observation that even women from two different times and cultures somehow "magically" understand one another in the kitchen even without speaking the same language, to the literal villainization of the one "feminist" character in the book. (Btw, in the acknowledgements, OSC includes reference to SIX PAGES of a Jewish feminist journal as informing this character's "rhetoric" which is SO not enough to understand a feminist sensibility, and it shows.)

So, four stars for the first half of the book, two stars for the second -- for an average of three stars, and a book that I won't be keeping on my shelf. ...more

This book ended up being better than I expected it to be. At first, the book's tone was really off-putting, trying too hard to be conversational and "This book ended up being better than I expected it to be. At first, the book's tone was really off-putting, trying too hard to be conversational and "modern" in a way that didn't jibe with the ancient Mayan setting. Even if one buys into the idea that goddesses are immortal regardless of whether people continue to believe in them, it's jarring to hear one refer to herself as a "rockstar" in the first-person or to compare the size of an ancient ball court to a modern basketball court. Still, once I was able to get past the tonal issues, I appreciated this book's age-appropriate handling of a possessive/abusive marital relationship and Ixchel's strength in overcoming it.

This book may have fallen into two-star territory if not for the impressive backmatter. I loved the accessible notes that served as a non-intimidating entry into Mayan mythology for kids who were exposed to it for the first time. Especially helpful was the "Established myth/fact/fiction" chart that detailed where certain parts of this retelling came from. Since I am as unfamiliar with Mayan mythology as the typical 9-year-old, I found this all to be very educational. I also liked the final chapter, "Ixchel Today" in which Ixchel gave a brief overview of how her legacy has lived on despite the colonization of Mexico.

As educational fodder, this is good, accessible stuff that could well spur kids' interest in history, ancient mythology, and other cultures. As fiction asked to stand on its own merits it is less successful, although it's nice to see a publisher tackling some lesser-known mythology for a young audience....more

I'm going to let this conversation with my husband serve as my review:

Him: This book is stupid!Me: Why is it stupid?Him: It has no point! There's no mI'm going to let this conversation with my husband serve as my review:

Him: This book is stupid!Me: Why is it stupid?Him: It has no point! There's no moral.Me: It does to have a point! The point is that doing housework for a bunch of men really sucks, and it's not a good deal even if it lets you hide from the witch.Him: Well, yeah, but we don't see what happens to the dwarfs after she leaves. They don't LEARN anything. Like that maybe they should have appreciated her a little more.

It's a valid criticism. This book would've been better if the dwarfs realized how much they made Snow White's life suck. ...more

I deprived myself of this book for far too long because I didn't want to read any Rapunzel retellings while I was working on the second draft of my owI deprived myself of this book for far too long because I didn't want to read any Rapunzel retellings while I was working on the second draft of my own. But this one was worth the wait. I loved Cress as a character, her social awkwardness and naivete juxtaposed with her coding and technical genius, as well as her deep knowledge of the other characters and obscure minutiae gleaned during lonely years scanning her net screens. Meyer managed to make her a "strong" character without falling into the "strong = feisty" trap, and she is well realized, complex, and fully developed. Getting to know her and following her story was my favorite part of this installment, making me somewhat impatient with the Cinder and especially the Scarlet chapters.

I also really liked Meyer's "take" on the Rapunzel story, which paid homage to the original in several subtle and overt ways while not being constrained by it. (view spoiler)[(Although I think her crush on Thorne is sweet, I wasn't particularly behind the "romance" aspect of this story and sort of hope they don't end up together. I want Cress to have more real-life experiences before she settles down with the first guy who caught her eye!) (hide spoiler)]

The development of Cinder's story is well done, as well as the mounting tension as Kai prepares to marry Levana and wrestles with his lingering confusion about/attraction toward Cinder. (view spoiler)[ The love scene between them near the end is particularly tender and had my heart pounding far more than the Cress/Thorne romance did, perhaps because it feels more real and also more hard won. I do hope they get their happy ending. (hide spoiler)]

Scarlet's story took the series into particularly dark terrain, darker than we have seen up until this point, which was a little disconcerting to me -- this is my "light" reading, Marissa Meyer! Although Scarlet's story interested me least of all the threads, I did like the glimpses it gave us of what may be to come in Winter, which I will hopefully be reviewing soon!...more

Although I didn't rate this book as highly in the others in this series, some parts of it really impressed me.

In a lot of media, villains are trea3.5

Although I didn't rate this book as highly in the others in this series, some parts of it really impressed me.

In a lot of media, villains are treated in one of two ways: as exclusively evil (think almost every depiction of Snow White's wicked queen you've ever encountered), or as tragically misunderstood (think Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West). I expected this book to go the second route -- that even after getting a sense of how evil Levana was in Cinder and Scarlette, that this book would somehow "redeem" her and awaken all sorts of conflicted feelings when she appeared in the villain's role in all the other books.

Nope, this book lets Levana stay evil.

And that is the beauty of it: that it lets Levana truly BE evil (as opposed to misunderstood), but that it doesn't make that ALL that she is. There are moments where she deserves and receives no sympathy: (view spoiler)[I mean, it is hard to get behind someone who plans to murder a three-year-old, then a husband that she loves, all for political gain. (hide spoiler)] But then there are also moments in which you can't help but admire her -- in the way that she really DOES care about being a good ruler, even if she has a misguided idea of what that means. Meyer does a good job of contrasting her with Channery, who is purely selfish and shallow and only enjoys being Queen for the parties and attention. Levana, on the other hand, takes an interest in Lunar politics, wants her country to succeed, and has a misguided sense that everything she does is for Lunar's own good. Patronizing to be sure, but not purely evil. The book shows Levana in some of her most vulnerable moments -- longing for a man who will never love her, self-conscious about the deformity she hides beneath her "glamour." At the same time, it never excuses her horrible behavior even as it lends some understanding.

The reason I gave this book fewer than four stars is because, since it covers a span of about 10 years, there were places where it seemed to slow down as Meyer used summary to transition from one "important" event to another one. And the ending was so abrupt! I was listening to it on audio, so I didn't have the same sort of warning one has when reading (and you can see you are on the last page, for example.) So when the narrator's voice came on being like, "We hope you have enjoyed this production ..." I was like WTF? THAT was the ending? It's not particularly satisfying -- but then I suppose the way the Lunar Chronicles ultimately resolve will tell us how Levana's story ends. It was nice to have the opportunity to also see how it began. ...more

This book felt like the whole thing was lead-up ... I was 3/4 of the way through the book and still had the sense that I was "waiting" for the story tThis book felt like the whole thing was lead-up ... I was 3/4 of the way through the book and still had the sense that I was "waiting" for the story to begin. Sarah's total isolation was disconcerting, and not really in a good way -- I kept hoping for her to come across ONE person who wasn't going to abandon her, betray her, or treat her like crap. I was waiting for a change of heart, for her to see that someone was not what they seemed, etc., but people pretty much were what they appeared to be at first glance, with the possible exception of Alan. In some ways, this felt more like a dark and dreamlike foray into Alice in Wonderland territory than a riff off Beauty & the Beast.

The terms of the spell in this book feel a little bit convoluted, and I wasn't surprised when I read in the author's note that she had written it in "a mad dash." It reads like a cleaned up NaNoWriMo novel, although I wasn't able to verify that. There is some really gorgeous writing near the end that almost bumped this up to a four-star book, but it ended up being too little too late for me. ...more

As this book began, I thought I would adore it. I really liked the tone, which was whimsical while still paying proper deference to the many fairy3.5

As this book began, I thought I would adore it. I really liked the tone, which was whimsical while still paying proper deference to the many fairy tale tropes woven throughout the story. This is definitely the most mashed-up fairy tale mash-up I've ever read, and while I thought that would make it delightful, it's actually what contributed to my losing some patience with it by the time I hit the halfway point. There are many fairy tale references, but as a fan of more traditional retellings, I felt a little frustrated when the threads were never fully followed through, and by the end it started to feel like a jumbled dream rather than a cohesive story -- something along the lines of Alice in Wonderland, except more like Alice in FairyTale Land. The frequent head-hopping also did not help matters at all. Because of all this, there were plot threads from the main storyline that I totally lost in the shuffle, especially those relating to Sunday's "lost/dead" brother Jack and Rumbold's years of "madness."

Still, when this book was good, it was REALLY good, totally sweeping me away into a land that was, well, enchanted. So despite some of my frustrations, I still hope to read the others in the series -- maybe I can even dare to hope for a more tightly reined-in focus!...more

This was an interesting reading experience because I was not familiar with the source material for this book, the fairy tale "The White Bride and theThis was an interesting reading experience because I was not familiar with the source material for this book, the fairy tale "The White Bride and the Black Bride." So I pulled out my trusty The Complete Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm, Volume 1 and read it right before venturing in to this novel. (Reading the original, I can see why this story doesn't get a ton of attention anymore. Although meant to be "metaphorical," its depiction of the "white bride" as being good and the "black bride" as being bad comes across as somewhat racist.)

Since this story was not part of my cultural consciousness the way more common fairy tales are, I was particularly surprised when certain elements that seemed crucial in the original were disregarded in this rendition. It really ended up feeling like a bit of a mash up between "Cinderella" and "The Goose Girl," since it played up the original's elements of an abusive stepfamily and a case of mistaken/stolen identity.

The writing is adequate, if a bit flowery in places (no pun intended), and I was somewhat confused by the author's choice to set it in France but to have the characters worship Greek gods. I don't know enough French history to place this historically, although I assume at some point the Roman occupation probably came into play. I would have liked an author's note to explain this choice, such as Donna Jo Napoli provides in Bound. With all the deaths and other horrible things that happened to Rose, the story did come across as melodramatic at times. I think that comes from the strange juxtaposition of this feeling like a "light" read even though it deals with the rather heavy subject matter of grief. And if the god I worshiped answered my prayers the way Artemis answers the prayers of Rose's dying mother, I think I would start seeking a new religion pronto, even if it does "all turn out all right in the end." I never felt completely certain that the destination was worth the harrowing journey in this case.

I would have liked further exploration of the case of "mistaken identity" between the King's deceased wife and Rose -- she was apparently her "twin" in looks, although they were around the same age and so she could not have been a reincarnation, and there was no indication they were actually twins separated at birth. I am glad that Rose realized the importance of the King coming to love her for who she was rather than as a balm to his grief over his late wife. I wonder if there are other retellings that focus more on this aspect of the story. If not, perhaps I will have to write one!...more

It's been so many years since I've read anything by Donna Jo Napoli -- I think more than a decade -- so I was pleased to find that she still "held up"It's been so many years since I've read anything by Donna Jo Napoli -- I think more than a decade -- so I was pleased to find that she still "held up" after all this time, especially since I stopped reading her because I seem to have OD'd and found her books not "doing it" for me the same way they used to.

It's clear from Napoli's retellings that she has the utmost respect for her source material, and I admire that. She doesn't try too hard to find a "gimmick" or "twist" to make her retellings sensational; instead, she simply sinks deeply and richly into the source material, particularly the psychology of the characters and the seemingly bizarre choices they make.

This is the first time I've read a Cinderella retelling that harkens back to some of the earliest, Chinese source materials, and I really liked the change of setting. The story is still there -- the stepmother, a half sister, an orphaned and disadvantaged daughter -- but there's a subtly different light cast upon it. At first glance this book seems to be less dark than some of Napoli's other work, but the scenes with the raccoon kittens and the ultimate fate of Xing Xing's fish prove that Napoli still does not shy away from the more disturbing aspects of fairy tales.

Napoli's characters are not two-dimensional -- Xing Xing's sister, who suffers the pain of bound feet, is a sympathetic character that Xing Xing genuinely pities and cares for. The stepmother, while dismissive and sometimes cruel to Xing Xing, is also made more believable for the pressure she feels to marry off her daughter so that the family can survive in a culture where three women alone are worth very little. Her cruelty is interspersed with moments of kindness, so that one does not feel the sort of simmering hatred of her that the stepmother usually inspires. It would have been soul-crushing to live under her roof, just the same.

There is a lot of buildup, so that the ending (the "ball," the search for the owner of the shoe, etc.) seems rushed. I never really "bought" the character of the prince, nor did I feel totally confident Xing Xing was heading off to a happily ever after. But since the romance aspect is probably the least alluring to me in the Cinderella story, it didn't bother me too much to have it downplayed here.

This book was not what I expected it to be. It was lighter on magic, heavier on Alaskan frontier hardship, but once I adjusted my expectations, I endeThis book was not what I expected it to be. It was lighter on magic, heavier on Alaskan frontier hardship, but once I adjusted my expectations, I ended up enjoying the book a lot.

It is one of those stories that you need to let yourself really sink into slowly. The hardship and isolation of settling the Alaskan frontier is palpable, as is the grief Mabel feels over her inability to have children, and the tension that all this elicits in her long-time marriage. Over the course of the novel, Mabel and Jack, intentionally reclusive at the start, begin to connect with their neighbors and form a small but tight community.

And in the center of this historical pioneer drama is just a touch of magic and mystery, when Mabel and Jack discover a nine-year-old girl who seems to live in the woods after they build a snow child. Faina flits in and out of the families' lives over the next eight years, growing into womanhood without ever becoming less elusive. Is she a real girl, or a product of Mabel and Jack's hopes and dreams? Either way, she is captivating, and the ambiguity of her sat well with me. It's a beautiful story about a harsh time and place, and even harsher heartbreak. ...more

This is a collection of fairy tale retellings that, while written in 20th Century, read like classic literature, with long, winding sentences, reflectThis is a collection of fairy tale retellings that, while written in 20th Century, read like classic literature, with long, winding sentences, reflective narrators, and lush descriptions.

What doesn't read so much like classic literature are the sexual overtones in each story, which are not demure or implied, but explicit without being tasteless. It brings to the surface a sense of what you always suspected might be going on in fairy tales, but it does so in a way that allows them to maintain their dreamlike, otherworldly quality.

This is not a quick read; the writing is dense and best consumed when you have some quiet time to yourself to just sink into it. But having it broken up into short stories makes it much more manageable.

My favorite stories were the "beast" ones, particularly "The Tiger's Wife," in which we see the true vulnerability of sexuality, as well as its transformative power, in a way that is both unsettling and beautiful.

Yes, it seems this collection has become something of a retelling classic for a reason. ...more

In Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch, my main issue was that too much of the book was dedicated to non-canon characters. While that was also an issue in this book -- although to a lesser extent -- one of the things that annoyed me about this one was the way it tried to shoe-horn existing characters into parts of the story where they didn't really belong. I just had a lot of trouble buying (view spoiler)[ that Gaston and Beast used to be friends, even if they did explain that the Beast had "forgotten" about these years after his transformation. (hide spoiler)] A lot of how the prince/beast was portrayed in this book just didn't feel congruous with the one we know in the book, and his redemption seemed to happen too quickly and easily considering how awful Valentino had set him up to be prior to Belle's arrival. I did like the idea of the curse taking hold slowly rather than all at once, though.

Oh, and this book doesn't give a crap about the movie timeline ... as far as I can tell it takes place over a period of two years or so, rather than 10. And it doesn't address the oh-so-awkward issue of the prince being 11 when he is cursed -- he is in his teens (i.e., old enough to know better) in this version. That was just one more thing that made this interpretation feel sloppily done. ...more